In her hands were two items: the Sapphire Flame, glowing faintly with an inner blue light, and her damaged shield, its once-brilliant surface now dark and cracked.
The Phoenix turned from one of his holographic displays as she approached, his golden Mark II Power Armor gleaming under the dim light of the lair. His cold, calculating eyes immediately locked onto the items she carried.
“You faced Shadow, I see,” he said, his tone calm but edged with irritation. His attention shifted to the broken shield. “What happened to this shield I made? It was supposed to handle far more than anything that child could throw at you.”
Ligress set the loot on the nearby table, carefully placing the Sapphire Flame in a secure containment unit. She then tossed the shield down with far less ceremony, her claws retracting as she crossed her arms.
“Yeah, I faced him,” she said, her voice smooth but slightly annoyed. “He’s better than I expected. Smart, resourceful. He overloaded the shield—pushed it past its limits until it shorted out.”
The Phoenix’s eyes narrowed behind his visor, and he picked up the broken shield, examining it with sharp precision. “Overloaded, you say?” he murmured, his voice low and analytical. “Interesting. I calibrated this specifically to redirect energy-based attacks. For him to exploit its limits so effectively...” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I underestimated his adaptability.”
Ligress raised an eyebrow, leaning against the table. “You’re not the only one. He’s quick on his feet, and he doesn’t fight like most of the others I’ve gone up against. He’s... determined. I’ll give him that.”
The Phoenix set the shield down, his tone growing colder. “Determined, yes. But determination is a weakness when faced with superior intellect and preparation. Shadow’s reliance on improvisation won’t save him forever. Next time, he won’t be so lucky.”
Ligress smirked faintly, brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her mask. “Next time, I won’t need your fancy toys. I can handle him just fine on my own.”
The Phoenix chuckled, a low, calculating sound. “Oh, I have no doubt about your capabilities, Ligress. But why settle for ‘handling’ him when we can destroy him entirely?” He turned to one of his nearby workbenches, where several prototypes of weapons and devices were scattered. “This encounter has given me valuable data on Shadow’s strategies and limitations. I’ll ensure that the next time you face him, you’ll have everything you need to finish the job.”
Ligress’s voice echoed back as she disappeared into the shadows of the exit. “Just don’t forget who’s doing your dirty work.”
The next morning, Chloe Conner woke up in her cozy suburban home, sunlight streaming through the blinds of her bedroom. Her alarm clock blared softly, but she reached out and silenced it with a quick tap. Stretching her arms, she sat up, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders. Today was just another day, but Chloe knew how quickly her routine could shift—after all, she wasn’t just an ordinary girl. She was also Ligress, the infamous thief who had tangled with Thunder City’s Shadow just the night before.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, she slipped on a comfortable hoodie and joggers before heading downstairs to greet her family. The warm smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes filled the air, grounding her in the comforts of home.
“Morning, Chloe!” her mom, Maggie Conner, greeted with a smile. A petite woman with a nurturing demeanor, Maggie was busy flipping pancakes at the stove, her apron tied neatly around her waist. “Sleep well, sweetheart?”
“Morning, Mom,” Chloe said, her voice light and cheerful. “Yeah, I did. Smells great in here.”
Her dad, Richard Conner, looked up from the table where he was reading the morning paper, a steaming mug of coffee in hand. Tall and broad-shouldered, Richard had an easygoing presence that made him seem like the anchor of the family. “Hey, kiddo,” he said with a grin. “Ready to take on the day?”
“Always,” Chloe replied, grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl. “Where’s everyone else?”
Just then, her older brother, Ryan, strolled into the kitchen, still wearing a hoodie and pajama pants, his dark hair messy from sleep. He was a couple of years older than Chloe, with a laid-back personality that often clashed with her ambitious nature. “Morning, Chloe,” he said with a yawn, grabbing a plate. “You’re up earlier than usual.”
“Had to beat you to breakfast for once,” Chloe teased, sticking out her tongue.
Finally, Sophie, Chloe’s younger sister, bounded into the kitchen with the unbridled energy of a ten-year-old. Her platinum hair was tied into two pigtails, and she wore a colorful T-shirt that read “World’s Best Little Sister.”
“Chloe! Chloe!” Sophie said excitedly, tugging at her sleeve. “Guess what? I have a school project, and I get to make a superhero! Can you help me?”
Chloe froze for a split second, the word superhero hitting a little too close to home. But she quickly recovered, smiling down at Sophie. “Of course I can, Soph. We’ll work on it after school, okay?”
Later that morning, after breakfast and a few exchanges with her family, Chloe Conner slipped out of the house, claiming she had errands to run. Dressed in casual streetwear—jeans, a leather jacket, and sneakers—she blended in easily with the bustling crowd of Thunder City. But Chloe wasn’t heading to the mall or the library. She had an entirely different destination in mind: her local fence, someone who could quietly help her turn stolen goods into cash.
Navigating through the less polished parts of the city, Chloe eventually arrived at a small pawn shop tucked between a rundown laundromat and a closed diner. The faded sign above the shop read "Max's Treasures," though anyone who knew the neighborhood understood that Max specialized in more than just secondhand trinkets.
Chloe stepped inside, the small bell above the door jingling softly. The interior was dimly lit, shelves crammed with everything from old electronics to gaudy jewelry. The faint scent of dust and oil lingered in the air.
Behind the counter stood Max, a wiry man in his late forties with graying hair slicked back and sharp eyes that missed nothing. He was dressed in a rumpled suit jacket over a turtleneck, the kind of outfit that suggested both professionalism and a willingness to get his hands dirty.
“Well, well,” Max said, his thin lips curling into a smile as he leaned on the counter. “If it isn’t my favorite client. To what do I owe the pleasure, Chloe?”
“Keep it down, Max,” Chloe said, glancing around to make sure no one else was in the shop. “You know I don’t like people using my real name here.”
Max chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, kid. It’s just us. What have you got for me today?”
Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out a small, unmarked pouch. She placed it on the counter and slid it toward him. Inside was a carefully wrapped collection of jewels and smaller valuables she’d acquired over her recent heists—not the Sapphire Flame, of course. That was already in The Phoenix’s hands.
Max opened the pouch, his eyes lighting up as he examined the contents. He pulled out a jeweler’s loupe and inspected the largest gem, a brilliant-cut diamond. “Not bad,” he said, nodding appreciatively. “Where’d you snag these?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Chloe replied, her tone curt. “Let’s just get to the part where you tell me how much they’re worth.”
Max smirked but didn’t press. He knew better than to dig too deeply into Chloe’s affairs. After a few minutes of silent appraisal, he straightened and folded his arms.
“I can give you ten grand for the lot,” he said, his tone businesslike.
“Ten?” Chloe scoffed, narrowing her eyes. “Come on, Max. You know this haul is worth at least twice that.”
Max chuckled, shaking his head. “Twice that if I move them cleanly. But you know the drill, kid. I’ve got to launder these through a dozen channels before I can sell them, and that cuts into my margins. Ten’s my offer.”
Chloe leaned on the counter, her voice dropping to a lower, more dangerous tone. “Max, you and I both know you’re underselling me. Fifteen. And I’ll make sure you get first dibs on my next haul.”
Max rubbed his chin, weighing her words. Finally, he sighed. “Alright, fifteen. But you’d better bring me something just as good next time. Deal?”
“Deal,” Chloe said, smirking as she extended her hand.
Max counted out a stack of cash from the register, placing it in an envelope before sliding it across the counter. “Here you go, kid. Spend it wisely.”
Chloe pocketed the envelope and nodded. “Thanks, Max. And remember—keep this between us.”
Max grinned. “Don’t I always?”
With that, Chloe turned and exited the shop, stepping back into the busy streets of Thunder City. Ligress didn’t just survive—she thrived.
Meanwhile, at the Steele household, Sarah sat at her desk, her laptop glowing faintly in the dimly lit room. Stacks of notes, newspaper clippings, and scattered printouts surrounded her—a clear sign of the deep dive she was doing into everything she could find about Ligress. While Dexter was resting up after their most recent run-in with the cat thief, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Ligress than met the eye.
She typed furiously, her screen displaying multiple tabs—crime databases, news archives, and obscure blogs. While the name Ligress had only surfaced in recent months, Sarah quickly discovered that reports of a superpowered cat thief stretched back years.
Digging further, Sarah found another article from the same time period. It described a series of high-profile thefts in Thunder City, all attributed to a mysterious, agile young thief who could scale walls, leap impossible distances, and evade even the most sophisticated security systems. The reports had referred to her as a "feline menace", given her cat-like abilities and the claw marks often left behind at the scenes.
“Looks like her powers aren’t new,” Sarah murmured, clicking through more images and reports. One of the early surveillance shots even captured a glimpse of the thief’s blonde hair, though her face was obscured by a crude mask.
Sarah opened a blank document and began typing out her notes.
- Ligress’s Timeline:
- Early reports of a cat-themed thief date back at least four years.
- Descriptions of the thief as a young girl with superhuman abilities, operating long before the term “Ligress” was coined.
- Consistent patterns of precision, speed, and strength in all her heists.
- Natural Powers:
- Reports suggest her abilities—super speed, agility, strength, and reflexes—are innate.
- No known history of experiments or external sources of power.
- Likely a natural-born superhuman, one of the few in the world.
- Early Activity:
- First known activity occurred when the thief was approximately nine or ten years old.
- Crimes ranged from petty thefts to sophisticated break-ins, escalating over time.
Sarah stared at the notes, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. If Ligress had been pulling off heists for almost half a decade, that meant she had been honing her skills for most of her life. That also meant she was far more experienced than anyone would have guessed.
The following day, Chloe Conner stood backstage at the annual Miss Teen Thunder City Beauty Contest, her glittering sapphire gown catching the stage lights as she adjusted her hair in the mirror. The energy in the room was electric, with contestants bustling about, stylists fretting over last-minute details, and cameras flashing everywhere. Chloe exuded confidence, flashing her signature dazzling smile to onlookers while mentally preparing her responses for the interview portion of the contest.
This was her domain, the world she had carefully cultivated to maintain her public image as a rising star in the beauty world. To everyone else, she was just Chloe Conner—graceful, charming, and ambitious. But beneath the veneer of perfection, her mind was always on the clock, juggling her secret life as Ligress with her public persona.
As the announcer called for the next round, Chloe’s phone vibrated in the small clutch purse at her side. She frowned, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before slipping her phone out. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the sender: The Phoenix.
She tapped the screen to open the encrypted message, her heart beating slightly faster. Phoenix didn’t usually contact her during the day, and certainly not during events like this. Whatever it was, it had to be important.
Phoenix:
Job incoming. Priority one. Not a robbery or a hit. Meet at the docks, Pier 14, 8 p.m. Details on-site. Do not be late.
Chloe’s eyes lingered on the message, her brows furrowing slightly. Not a robbery or a hit? she thought, puzzled. Most of her work for The Phoenix involved heists or targeted eliminations—jobs that aligned with her skillset and his agenda. This was something different.
“Chloe, you’re up next!” one of the stage assistants called, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Coming!” she replied, quickly locking her phone and slipping it back into her purse. She took a deep breath, smoothing out her gown as she pushed the message to the back of her mind. For now, she had a contest to win.
On stage, Chloe performed flawlessly. Her poise, charisma, and sharp wit captivated both the judges and the audience. She answered the judges' questions with practiced ease, speaking about her ambitions, her dedication to community service, and her dreams of becoming a role model for young women in Thunder City.
The applause was thunderous as she finished her segment and stepped off the stage, her expression calm but triumphant. Yet even as she smiled for the cameras and exchanged polite words with the other contestants, her thoughts were elsewhere.
What’s Phoenix planning? And why the docks?
By the time the contest wrapped up that evening, Chloe had secured a spot in the top three—a significant victory that would bolster her public image. But as she left the venue, still in her gown, she slipped into a quiet alley where she had stashed her duffel bag containing her Ligress gear.
Changing quickly, Chloe shed the glittering persona of the beauty queen and transformed into the sleek and dangerous Ligress. Her catsuit fit snugly, the faint blue energy lines pulsing as she pulled her golden-striped mask into place. The jagged cape fluttered briefly as she adjusted it, her glowing blue lenses activating with a soft hum.
Date: June 2nd, 2014 — 8:00 PM
Location: Pier 14, Waterfront District
At Pier 14, the faint hum of a drone broke the silence as Ligress approached the rendezvous point. The sleek, black drone hovered in place, its camera swiveling to face her. On the drone's built-in screen, the masked visage of The Phoenix appeared, his glowing red lenses and golden armor catching the faint light from the nearby lampposts.
Ligress crossed her arms, her glowing blue lenses narrowing. “Oh, so it’s not enough to wear a mask. You can’t even be bothered to show up in person?” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “What’s the matter, Phoenix? Afraid I’ll scratch your shiny armor?”
The Phoenix’s voice came through the drone’s speaker, calm but with an edge of condescension. “Charming as always, Miss Conner. I assure you, my absence is not due to fear, but efficiency. I have far more pressing matters to attend to than indulging your penchant for theatrics.”
“Efficient, sure,” Ligress replied, rolling her eyes. “So, what’s the job this time? Another heist? Another hit?”
The Phoenix’s tone shifted, becoming more measured. “Neither, actually. This task requires more... finesse. I’ve been investigating alien crash sites in the Thunder City area. The remnants of extraterrestrial technology scattered throughout these sites could provide me with a considerable technological boost.”
Ligress raised an eyebrow behind her mask. “Alien crash sites? You’ve really been branching out, haven’t you?”
“Indeed,” the Phoenix said, ignoring her sarcasm. “However, there’s a complication. The systems onboard these crafts are designed to prohibit reverse engineering—likely a fail-safe to keep their technology from falling into unauthorized hands.”
He leaned forward in the feed slightly, his tone sharpening:
“Your objective is to infiltrate the I.S.O. headquarters in Washington, D.C. This drone—now equipped with advanced optical camouflage and noise suppression—will transport you directly and discreetly. Your goal is to access the primary air-gapped mainframe, download all encrypted research logs tagged ‘Xenotech: Black Classification’, and deliver the data to my androids upon return.”
Ligress stretched her arms lazily, claws briefly extending from her gloves.
“Breaking into the I.S.O. base in the capital? That’s not ‘simple’, that’s suicide. Even for me.”
The Phoenix’s voice flattened:
“Do not underestimate your own capabilities. Your armor’s shielding will mask most biometric traces, and the mainframe chamber will be lightly manned at this hour. However, stealth is paramount. You may incapacitate guards, but the alarm must not be raised. Do not deviate from my instructions—not even slightly.”
Ligress narrowed her eyes, studying the drone:
“You’re sending a thief into a den of killers. Fine. But I want triple pay for this job.”
The Phoenix was silent for a moment before replying:
“Complete the mission. I’ll consider your negotiation retroactively. Prepare for extraction in ten minutes.”
Mission Parameters Overview:
- Objective: Steal encrypted files from I.S.O. HQ mainframe (classified as Xenotech: Black Classification).
- Transport: Getaway drone with camo plating and sound-muffling tech.
- Infiltration Mode: Stealth preferred, minimal violence, no alarms.
- Reward: Cash, potential tech upgrades, higher trust with Phoenix.
- Warnings: Unknown defense mechanisms; possible alien-integrated tech in the lab systems.
Date: June 2nd, 2014 — 8:18 PM
Location: Above Washington D.C., Inside Camouflaged Transport Drone
Inside the matte-black, camouflaged cockpit of the Phoenix’s modified transport drone, Chloe Conner—codename Ligress—adjusted the straps of her sleek utility belt, her glowing blue eyes reflecting off the polished metal surfaces. The hum of cloaking fields, quiet but present, gave her a sense of unease as the aircraft descended invisibly through D.C.’s restricted airspace.
She took slow, controlled breaths to focus. Her claws extended and retracted with mechanical precision as she tested her gloves. One of the panels on her forearm lit up, displaying a 3D schematic of the I.S.O. regional headquarters. It was a fortress of steel and glass: three subterranean levels, encrypted mainframe systems behind air-gapped security, and no shortage of patrolling guards and biometric locks. Even with her strength, speed, and agility, Chloe knew this wasn’t a mission she could pull through. Not this time.
Her thumb hovered over her comms button before pressing in. “Alright, Phoenix,” she said, voice low but crisp. “I’m armed, I’m ready. But what exactly are you going to do besides barking commands from your cozy lair? Any reason I should believe you actually know what you’re doing?”
There was a pause on the other end before the Phoenix’s voice filtered through, distorted and mechanical through the vocoder. “The transport drone you’re in is equipped with a secondary payload: a hive of advanced insect drones. They will bypass traditional countermeasures and work independently to weaken perimeter security, jam surveillance feeds, and disable non-lethal countermeasures. Their orders come directly from me.”
He paused for effect before continuing with clinical detachment. “You are not my only contingency, Miss Conner. If you fail—another will take your place. I suggest you do not fail.”
Chloe scoffed and muttered, “Charming,” before muting the channel. She didn’t like being threatened. But she liked the idea of someone else getting the spotlight even less. Her pride wasn’t something she let go of easily.
The drone rattled slightly as it transitioned into hover mode. The stealth shielding pulsed blue along the fuselage, invisible to the naked eye but visible from within. A red light blinked above the drop hatch—thirty seconds to deployment.
She stood, stretching her limbs with feline grace. Her armored boots magnetized softly to the floor until the signal blinked green. Her hair was tied into a tight braid, tucked behind her back to avoid leaving a trace. This wasn’t just another job. This was a declaration. The world didn’t yet know who Ligress was, but after tonight, she’d no longer be anyone’s backup plan.
As she stepped toward the ramp, she activated the suit’s adaptive camo. A ripple of light passed over her body, bending shadows and light until she faded into the blackness of night. The hatch dropped with a silent hiss, revealing the dark rooftop of the ISO complex below.
Ligress jumped landed with barely a sound atop the southwest wing of the ISO facility, her boots absorbing the impact as her camo shimmered, momentarily destabilized by the force before re-stabilizing. She crouched behind a cooling vent and tapped her wrist panel to sync the facility’s external layout to her HUD. Red outlined the patrol paths of guards, security drones, and motion-detection turrets—overlapping like a complex web of kill zones.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Entrance is beneath the southwest antenna hub,” Phoenix’s voice crackled through her earpiece. “Secondary entrance near the east solar arrays, but it’s more heavily guarded. Take the primary.”
“I can see that,” she muttered under her breath. “Still don’t need you narrating.”
As she moved across the rooftop, her pace was measured, every motion calculated. She crawled beneath a rotating camera, timed her leap between two beams of infrared, then vaulted over a drone patrol just as it scanned the rooftop behind her. Her lithe figure moved like liquid shadow. No wasted energy. No hesitation.
Below her, one of Phoenix’s insect drones crawled along the glass fa?ade, entering through a vent too small for human entry. Chloe watched as cameras began to flicker and shift subtly out of sync with their usual rotations.
“Disruption field in effect,” Phoenix said, smugly. “You’re welcome.”
She ignored him and dropped through an access hatch, landing inside a dim maintenance corridor. The metallic clang of her boots was silenced by micro-sound dampeners in her suit. She slipped into the shadows as a pair of guards passed the intersecting corridor, chatting about some new alien detainment protocol.
One guard paused, frowning. “You hear that?”
“Hear what?” the other asked.
“…Never mind.”
They moved on.
Chloe exhaled slowly and continued forward, scanning for the encrypted mainframe chamber. Phoenix chimed in again.
“You’ll reach a sealed vault door in twenty meters. Biometric scan, four-digit pin, and a heat-sensitive handprint layer. You’ll need to lift the data, not crack it.”
“Then open it for me,” Chloe hissed as she rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the reinforced vault door—silver steel embossed with the ISO insignia.
“Uploading bypass malware through your bracer now,” Phoenix responded. “Give it fifteen seconds to worm its way into their external panel.”
As the virus deployed, Chloe heard footsteps. Fast. Sharp.
Not guards.
Security drones.
A trio of them rolled into view from the opposite end of the corridor—multi-legged, spherical, and armed with paralysis darts.
Chloe swore and ducked into the wall’s shadows just as they approached the vault. One of them scanned the area but faltered mid-sweep, likely disrupted by Phoenix’s jammer network. Still, it wasn’t blind. The drones fanned out, sensors humming.
Chloe leapt upward, catching a pipe near the ceiling, holding herself above the sightline just as a drone passed beneath her. It paused. She didn’t move.
Suddenly her HUD blinked.
Vault Access: 98%… 99%… COMPLETE.
The door hissed open behind her, and Chloe dropped silently to the ground, slipping through the entrance as the drones turned too late.
The door sealed behind her.
Inside was a sterile chamber bathed in cold white light. A floating mainframe orb pulsed in the center, suspended by a series of rotating rings. Alien symbols shimmered across its surface.
“ISO has clearly tried to retrofit alien tech into this server,” Phoenix said with interest. “Curious. This isn’t just Terran software anymore. Proceed with caution. Insert the transfer spike and let my AI do the rest.”
Chloe drew the gold-tipped data spike from her belt and approached the orb. Her instincts screamed something wasn’t right. The technology didn’t just look foreign—it felt alive. The faint hum had rhythm, like a heartbeat.
Still, she followed orders and slid the spike into the port. It locked in with a click, and blue light spiraled upward.
“Download initializing,” Phoenix confirmed. “Now hold position. This will take a few minutes.”
“Fantastic,” Chloe whispered, eyes flicking to the only exit. “I’ll just sit here and hope your buggy AI doesn’t trip a silent alarm.”
Outside, a red warning light blinked faintly on one of the drone consoles.
Unknown signal detected.
The heist was no longer clean.
Date: June 2nd, 2014 — 8:27 PM
Location: ISO Regional Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Inside the humming vault, Chloe’s pupils narrowed behind her glowing mask lenses as her HUD lit up with a flashing amber border. The warning tag read: Security Status: YELLOW ALERT — Level 2 Access Restricted.
Her jaw tensed. “What the hell did I trip?”
Just then, Phoenix’s voice came in, cool and clinical, but with a sharpened edge.
“The silent alarm is on yellow alert. Did you make a mistake?”
Ligress’s head whipped toward the entrance. “What?! This place is on red alert?”
“I said yellow alert,” Phoenix corrected smoothly, “Alerts are color-coded. Red refers to a perilous emergency warranting the maximum permitted response—armed lockdown, protocol kill-switches, authorized use of lethal force on all intruders. Yellow alert, by contrast—”
“I know what a yellow alert means!” Ligress snapped. “Get to the point!”
“The guards are aware that a trespasser is inside,” Phoenix continued, unshaken. “Yellow alert is often triggered by false positives—staff taking the wrong hallway, heat signatures overlapping in blind spots, or the occasional civilian infected with hubris. Stick to the plan. The spike is still extracting. You’ve only downloaded 42%.”
Ligress muttered under her breath and clenched her fists. “I swear if your buggy little roaches tripped this alert…”
“My insect drones are doing their job precisely. If anything, they’ve bought you time. They’re flooding auxiliary terminals with false data spikes—security will be chasing phantoms for the next two minutes. Use them well.”
A faint clank echoed beyond the vault’s outer door—boots. Multiple pairs. The corridor beyond was active.
Ligress turned and crouched into a defensive stance, then adjusted her utility belt and reached for a new gadget: a round, shimmering disc that she pressed against the metal floor. It sank in and shimmered with a hexagonal grid.
Tether mine. Pressure-activated, proximity-adjusted. Phoenix design.
She slinked to the side of the chamber and perched above on a light scaffold, pressed close to the cold steel as the download continued.
“57%. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary,” Phoenix said. “If they bypass the pressure mine, I’ll initiate a second phase lockdown of the hallway doors.”
“Then do it now,” Ligress hissed. “I’ve got three hostiles approaching. They’re whispering, they know something’s off.”
“Patience. The closer they get, the more reliable your escape. Don’t waste your stealth profile until you must.”
Ligress gritted her teeth and waited. Her breathing was shallow, barely moving her chest, her enhanced reflexes tensed like a spring. She watched the vault timer climb.
62%… 66%… 70%…
Three guards in ISO tactical armor reached the entrance, holding back just beyond the threshold. One of them, a woman with a dark braid under her helmet, scanned the area.
“No signs of breach, but the temperature readings are fluctuating hard,” she whispered. “Vault 2 might be exposed.”
Another guard readied a containment net launcher. “If it’s one of those damn rogue metas again, I swear—”
Then the mine pulsed beneath them.
Trigger proximity reached.
BOOM.
A silent concussive burst sent all three tumbling backward, tangled in shimmering energy netting laced with neurostatic threads. They didn’t scream—Phoenix’s mines weren’t designed for drama. Just results.
“You’re welcome,” Phoenix said dryly.
“80%!” Ligress snapped. “You said this thing would only take three minutes!”
“You said you wanted full schematics and alien reverse engineering parameters,” Phoenix retorted. “That takes time. Or did you want a half-downloaded data string that detonates your mask the next time you open it?”
She cursed again, moving into a crouch as a second group of guards moved in behind the first, scanning the corridor with flashlights and magnetic sweeps.
“They’ve initiated a soft lockdown,” Phoenix said. “Northwest corridor sealed. But your exfil route is still viable if you reach the server’s cooling chamber. It’s three floors down, vent shaft to the west. I’ll patch in a map.”
Ligress’s HUD updated with a new red line: a winding path through security zones and pressure-sealed tunnels.
93%… 96%… 100%.
“Finally.” Ligress yanked the spike free. The orb dimmed, hissing from the forced data extraction. Lights began blinking red.
“No more time. Move.”
With a somersault, Ligress kicked off the scaffold, landed in a cat-like crouch, and dashed for the emergency hatch. Sirens began to echo distantly through the structure.
She smiled.
Now this was getting fun.
Date: June 2nd, 2014 — 8:39 PM
Location: ISO Regional Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Smoke burst from a shattered vent grille as Ligress dropped into the lower access corridor—shoulder-first into two armed guards. She rammed one against the wall, his stun baton clattering away as the second swung wildly. Ligress ducked under the strike, grabbed the man’s vest with a sharp twist, and flung him overhead into a railing with a crack.
Phoenix’s voice returned over her comm, more critical now.
“Miss Conner, you should not be panicking. A slower exfiltration may take longer, but is far more in line with my orders. Or are you simply hungry for action?”
“I’m hungry to not get shot,” she growled, vaulting a turnstile as a heavy blast door creaked shut just inches behind her. “Your plan didn’t mention half the guards being armed with stun netting. Or pressure sensors in the vent I landed in.”
“False assumptions,” Phoenix replied coldly. “You deviated from your route six meters prior to impact. The vent path was not designed to accommodate your speed.”
Ligress ducked under a motion-activated turret, tumbled into a roll, and landed with a sharp thud in the east junction hall. “You’re really going to lecture me on overperforming while I’m dodging electrocution?”
“Yes.”
She threw a grappling line upward and zipped through an overhead maintenance shaft just as a team of four ISO Enforcers rounded the bend below her. Her heart thumped, but her expression remained sharp and focused.
Phoenix spoke again, now with an almost bored tone.
“I designed this operation with the assumption of a calm, professional approach. If you had followed the full infiltration route, you would be evading one rotating patrol every two minutes, not two squads every thirty seconds.”
“Maybe if I knew your little roaches couldn’t fully blind them like you said,” Ligress snapped. “I’m improvising because your plan failed. You're lucky I’m not tearing your mask off and showing the world what kind of face tells a girl to slow down during a firefight.”
“Temper tantrums are unbecoming, Miss Conner,” Phoenix replied. “You’ll reach the emergency docking chamber in two minutes. From there, the Getaway Drone will extract you. Provided you don’t draw additional attention in the meantime.”
A red light lit up at the end of the hall.
“Too late,” Ligress muttered.
She burst through the final hallway—bullets pinging off the reinforced shoulders of her catsuit. Her eyes glowed as her adrenaline surged. With a savage twist, she kicked through the lower torso of an ISO officer, sending him crashing into a sealed door panel. Sparks flew as she slapped an override disc on the control pad. The metal shutter hissed open, revealing a vertical tube-like launch tunnel.
“Extraction point reached,” Phoenix said. “You have seventeen seconds before this entire wing is locked down.”
Ligress leapt into the launch chute and activated her magnetic grapples—her limbs yanked upward as the drone locked onto her signal.
As she rocketed out of the ISO compound, wind whipping around her, Chloe Conner exhaled, adrenaline still pumping.
“Your improvisation was tolerable,” Phoenix said. “But you’ll find future missions far less forgiving.”
“You want perfect?” Ligress said, pulling off her mask with a grin. “Find a robot.”
“I already have several. But none of them wear your face. Nor possess your appetite for chaos.”
She smirked.
“Damn right.”
Date: June 2nd, 2014 — 9:03 PM
Location: En Route to Pier 14, Thunder City Waterfront District
The interior of the drone cockpit hummed with the low thrum of stealth engines, its surfaces lined with faintly glowing panels and camo-skin shifting subtly to match the passing sky. Chloe Conner—Ligress—sat strapped in, arms crossed and helmet discarded at her feet. The black catsuit clung to her like a second skin, the gold lines along her arms flickering softly with residual charge. Sweat glistened along her collarbone, but her breathing had already slowed.
Phoenix’s voice crackled through her earpiece with the cold edge of disappointment—restrained, clinical, but never calm.
“Your recklessness is not what I desired.”
Chloe scoffed, leaning back in her seat. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“While I am hardly a cautious man myself, I know the folly of both hubris and panic,” Phoenix continued. “How ironic that fear is both a source and a shield against recklessness. You let it override your restraint.”
“I got the job done,” Chloe muttered, watching the Earth’s curve in the distance through the forward panel. “Don’t pretend your roaches were enough on their own.”
“My insect drones will have to remain behind to cover up your… detour. There are damaged walls, unconscious guards, breached vents—none of which were part of the plan.”
The drone banked slightly. Thunder City’s harbor lights began to glitter like stars below. Chloe curled her fingers and stretched them open again, her gloves hissing faintly with residual kinetic charge.
“Fortunately,” Phoenix added, “I had a contingency plan prepared.”
Chloe arched a brow. “Contingency?”
“As far as the ISO is concerned, the D.C. compound was assaulted by a rogue metahuman. Specifically, Wild Woman.”
“Wild Woman?” Chloe laughed out loud. “The eco-terrorist with claws and a temper?”
“Yes. The kind of reputation that sells. Her prior run-ins with ISO security in Oregon gave us the perfect match. The drone falsified scent trails, claw markings, and residual DNA from a stolen sample.”
“You set her up.”
“I diverted suspicion away from you, Miss Conner. Consider it an investment in plausible deniability. One I should not have needed to deploy.”
Chloe leaned forward, tapping her claw-tipped finger on the comms screen.
“I’m still reducing your pay by five percent.”
“What?!”
“You were instructed to remain unseen. You nearly got yourself shot, you left half the west corridor in shambles, and you forced my secondary drones to erase three separate security logs instead of one. Your performance was effective, but crude. I do not reward shortcuts.”
Chloe scowled and crossed her arms. “So what, I’m just some reckless grunt to you now?”
“You’re still useful,” Phoenix said flatly. “Which is more than I can say for most.”
A long silence followed, broken only by the low hum of atmospheric reentry as the stealth drone approached Thunder City’s limits. Chloe stared out into the night, her reflection dim in the panel glass.
“Five percent,” she muttered again. “Cheap bastard.”
“I prefer the term fiscally discerning.”
Chloe rolled her eyes but said nothing more. As the drone angled toward Pier 14’s rooftop docking platform, her expression hardened. She’d delivered the data, survived ISO’s premier defenses, and walked away bruised but unbroken.
And yet she knew something else too.
She wouldn’t always be taking orders.
One day, she’d be the one setting the price.
As Ligress stepped into the rendezvous point, a shadowy clearing near the docks, the faint hum of two drones greeted her. One of the drones hovered in place, its sleek black body scanning her with a cold, mechanical precision. The other drone carried a sleek, silver suitcase suspended beneath it, the metallic surface reflecting the faint moonlight.
Ligress folded her arms, tilting her head slightly as the drone carrying the suitcase hovered closer. “Well, look who decided to show up,” she said, her voice dripping with mock cheerfulness. “And here I thought I’d have to dig through another alien death trap just to get my paycheck.”
The voice of The Phoenix came through her earpiece, calm and measured as always. “You’ve completed your task, Miss Conner. And as promised, your compensation awaits.”
The drone carrying the suitcase lowered it onto a nearby table, the clasps hissing softly as they unlocked. Ligress opened it, revealing several stacks of cash and a set of upgraded tech modules for her suit.
“New toys,” Ligress remarked, picking up one of the modules and inspecting it. “You really know how to spoil a girl.”
The Phoenix’s voice carried a faint note of amusement. “Consider it an investment. The module will enhance your reflexes further, allowing you to respond to threats with even greater precision.”
“And the cash?” Ligress asked, closing the suitcase. “Just your way of saying thanks?”
“Payment for services rendered,” The Phoenix replied. “You performed admirably, despite the challenges. It’s only fitting that you’re compensated accordingly.”
Ligress leaned against the table, her smirk returning. “You’re lucky I like shiny things, Phoenix. But next time, maybe give me a little more warning before sending me into an ISO madhouse.”
“Noted,” The Phoenix said. “Until next time, Miss Conner.”
The drones began to retreat, their hum fading into the distance as Ligress stood alone in the clearing, the suitcase in hand. She glanced at the horizon, her smirk fading slightly as she considered the mission she’d just completed.
“Next time, huh?” she muttered to herself, turning and disappearing into the shadows. Despite her bravado, she couldn’t shake the feeling that The Phoenix was playing a far bigger game—one that she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to be a part of. For now, though, she’d play along. After all, the loot was worth it.
Two days later, Chloe Conner found herself at the entrance of Thunder City's Skyward Amusement Park with her siblings. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for rides, games, and everything else the park had to offer. Chloe was dressed casually in a light hoodie, a denim skirt, and sneakers, her hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. To anyone passing by, she was just a regular girl, laughing and chatting with her siblings.
Her older brother Ryan carried a backpack with water bottles and snacks, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else but was playing the dutiful big brother. Meanwhile, Sophie, her younger sister, buzzed with excitement, practically bouncing as she tugged on Chloe’s arm.
“Chloe, Chloe! Can we go on the Ferris wheel first? Or the roller coaster? Or maybe the bumper cars? Oh! Or the haunted house!” Sophie rambled, her energy seemingly endless.
“Slow down, Soph!” Chloe said with a laugh, ruffling Sophie’s hair. “We’ll get to everything, I promise. Let’s just pick one to start with.”
Ryan rolled his eyes as he adjusted the straps of his backpack. “You’re indulging her way too much, Chloe. We’re going to be running all over this park because she can’t make up her mind.”
Chloe smirked at him. “Oh, come on, Ryan. When’s the last time you just had fun? Stop being such a dad.”
Ryan scoffed. “I’m not being a dad. I’m being realistic. Do you know how long the lines are going to be?”
Sophie grabbed his arm and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes. “Pleeease, Ryan? Don’t ruin it.”
Ryan sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. “Fine. But I’m not doing the teacups.”
“Deal!” Sophie giggled and immediately pointed toward the towering roller coaster at the far end of the park. “Let’s go there first!”
The trio made their way through the colorful park, the air filled with the sounds of carnival music, laughter, and the occasional scream from a thrill ride. Chloe couldn’t help but smile as Sophie darted ahead, her excitement contagious. For a little while, the weight of her double life faded, replaced by the simple joy of spending time with her siblings.
They started with the roller coaster, a massive structure of looping tracks and steep drops. Sophie squealed with delight as the ride soared through its twists and turns, while Ryan clung to the safety bar, muttering, “Why did I agree to this?”
Chloe, meanwhile, barely reacted to the ride’s intensity. Her superhuman reflexes made the sudden turns and drops feel like nothing more than a brisk jog. She made a mental note to act more startled next time, lest Ryan start asking questions.
Afterward, they moved on to the bumper cars, where Sophie gleefully rammed into both Chloe and Ryan every chance she got. Ryan tried to retaliate but kept getting boxed in by other drivers, much to Sophie’s delight.
“Not fair!” Ryan called out as Sophie bumped him yet again. “You’re too small to hit!”
“Size doesn’t matter in bumper cars!” Sophie retorted with a grin, her laughter echoing through the arena.
As the day went on, they explored more of the park, trying out carnival games, eating cotton candy, and even braving the haunted house. Sophie clung to Chloe’s arm the entire time, letting out dramatic screams at every jump scare, while Ryan grumbled about how fake everything looked.
“Not everyone’s made of stone like you, Ryan,” Chloe teased as they exited the haunted house. “Some of us actually enjoy a little fun.”
Ryan shot her a look but didn’t argue. “Yeah, yeah. What’s next?”
Sophie, still recovering from the haunted house, pointed toward the Ferris wheel. “Let’s do that! It’s the best view in the park!”
As they reached the front of the line and boarded the Ferris wheel, Chloe let herself relax a little. The gondola rose steadily, offering a breathtaking view of the park and the city beyond. Sophie pressed her face against the window, marveling at the sights, while Ryan leaned back, finally looking like he was enjoying himself.
Chloe glanced out at the horizon, her mind drifting. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to savor the normalcy of the day. No heists, no missions, no Phoenix barking orders in her ear—just her family and a peaceful afternoon at the park.
She knew it wouldn’t last forever, but for now, it was enough.
At a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of Thunder City, Ava Muller, alongside her friends Lyra Whitfield, Zia Vargas, and Mia Yang, were enjoying a lively party. The glittering chandeliers, pounding music, and buzzing crowd of well-dressed teens created an atmosphere of carefree indulgence. Ava, with her natural charisma, was at the center of it all, laughing and mingling with the city's elite youth.
Ava, effortlessly stylish as always, was the glue holding the group together. As the four friends laughed and talked, unaware of the danger looming nearby, Venatrix and Sable, key operatives of the Downtown Ghouls, were finalizing their plans.
“This is the perfect opportunity,” Venatrix said, her voice cold and calculating. “Ava Muller, Lyra Whitfield, Zia Vargas, and Mia Yang—all in one place. The Mullers alone have connections to wealth and influence that could fund our operations for years.”
Sable, a shadowy figure who specialized in infiltration and subterfuge, adjusted her gloves as she nodded. Her voice was low and deliberate. “Ransom money from their families will be easy to demand. And if they resist? Well...” She trailed off with a sinister smirk.
Venatrix smirked back. “Let’s try to keep this clean. We grab them quietly, move them to the van, and get out before anyone realizes they’re gone.”
Outside the mansion, Downtown Ghouls operatives were already in position. Two vans with tinted windows waited near the back entrance, and the gang members were equipped with non-lethal tools—tasers, tranquilizers, and smoke grenades—to ensure a swift and efficient capture.
Venatrix spoke into her comm. “All units, move into position. We make the grab in five.”
Back inside, Ava was mid-conversation with Lyra when she suddenly felt a strange unease. She glanced toward the large windows overlooking the backyard, where shadows flickered unnaturally under the moonlight.
“Ava?” Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” Ava replied, brushing off the feeling. “Just thought I saw something.”
Mia, always observant, noticed Ava’s momentary distraction and turned to Zia. “Does it seem... off to you tonight?”
Zia shrugged, sipping her drink. “It’s a party, Mia. Relax a little.”
But Mia wasn’t convinced. Something about the air felt heavy, like the calm before a storm. She wasn’t sure what, but her instincts told her to stay alert.
As the countdown reached zero, the Downtown Ghouls made their move. Smoke grenades shattered through the windows, filling the room with thick plumes of gas. The partygoers screamed and scattered in panic as masked figures burst through the back entrance, their weapons drawn.
“Everyone down!” one of the gang members barked, their voice distorted through a mask.
Ava’s heart raced as she grabbed Lyra’s arm. “Stay close!” she shouted, her voice muffled by the smoke.
Mia and Zia moved toward Ava, but before they could reach her, Venatrix appeared from the shadows, her taser crackling with electricity. “Not so fast,” she said with a cruel smile, lunging toward Ava.
Ava ducked instinctively, her years of martial arts training kicking in as she pulled Lyra behind a table. “What the hell is going on?” Lyra gasped, coughing through the smoke.
“Stay calm,” Ava said, her voice firm. “We need to get out of here.”
Zia, meanwhile, grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it against the counter, brandishing the jagged glass as a weapon. “If they think they’re taking us without a fight, they’re dead wrong.”
Mia, though frightened, kept her composure. “We need a plan. Ava, what do we do?”
Ava’s mind raced. The smoke, the chaos—it was all too familiar. She knew whoever was behind this wasn’t here for the party. They were here for them.
Meanwhile, Venatrix watched the girls scramble with amusement. “You can run,” she said, stalking forward, “but you can’t hide.”
Sable’s voice came through the comm. “Hurry it up. We don’t have all night.”
Venatrix smirked. “Don’t worry. They’re not going anywhere.”
The game was on, and the Downtown Ghouls were closing in. But Ava and her friends weren’t going down without a fight.
As the chaos erupted around her, Ava Muller quickly assessed the situation. Smoke filled the room, muffling the cries of the terrified guests. Many of them had dropped to the ground, hands raised in surrender, while others cowered in corners. The gangsters of the Downtown Ghouls moved through the room with precision, corralling the panicked teens like sheep.
But Ava wasn’t about to go quietly.
Her heart pounded, but her training took over. She signaled to her friends, her voice low and firm. “Stay low, stay quiet, and stick together. I’ll handle this.”
“What?!” Lyra hissed, her eyes wide with fear. “Ava, are you crazy?”
“Trust me,” Ava said, her voice steady. “Just keep your heads down.”
Without waiting for a response, Ava slipped into the smoke, her movements fluid and deliberate. Years of martial arts training made her practically invisible in the chaos, her footsteps silent as she crept toward the nearest gangster.
The man was armed with a taser and scanning the room for stragglers. Ava crouched low behind an overturned table, her breath steady. When his back was turned, she struck—delivering a precise kick to the back of his knee, sending him to the ground with a grunt. Before he could react, she grabbed his weapon and knocked him out with a quick strike to the back of the head.
One down.
Ava moved swiftly through the smoke, using the confusion to her advantage. Every move was calculated, every takedown silent. She spotted another gangster heading toward a group of cowering guests and darted behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck in a chokehold. He struggled for a moment before going limp, and Ava gently lowered him to the floor.
As she disarmed him, she heard the distorted voice of Venatrix barking orders. “Herd them toward the vans! We don’t have time for this!”
Ava’s jaw tightened. She needed to act fast.
She glanced toward her friends, who were still huddled behind a counter. Mia Yang caught her eye and gave a subtle nod, her expression a mix of fear and determination. Ava gestured for them to stay put, then moved toward another gangster patrolling near the shattered windows.
This one was armed with a stun baton, which he twirled idly as he scanned the room. Ava waited for the perfect moment, then swept his legs out from under him, catching the baton midair as it fell. Before he could cry out, she delivered a swift blow to his chest, knocking the wind out of him.
The smoke began to clear slightly, revealing the silhouettes of the gangsters still standing. Ava crouched behind a pillar, her mind racing. She needed a way to turn the tide completely—something that would give the hostages a chance to escape. Her eyes fell on a fire alarm mounted on the wall, its bright red handle like a beacon.
“Perfect,” she whispered.
Ava sprinted toward the alarm, dodging behind overturned furniture to stay out of sight. One of the gangsters spotted her and shouted, “Hey! Over there!”
Before he could react, Ava hurled the stun baton with pinpoint accuracy, striking him square in the chest and sending him sprawling. She reached the alarm and pulled the handle hard.
A deafening alarm blared through the mansion, and the sprinkler system activated, drenching everyone in a sudden downpour. The combination of noise and water threw the gangsters into disarray, their masks fogging up as they shouted over the chaos.
Venatrix, standing near the back of the room, cursed under her breath as she wiped water from her face. “Find her!” she barked to her men. “She’s making fools of you all!”
Ava smirked from her hiding spot, her drenched hair plastered to her face. The tables had turned, and she wasn’t done yet.
Using the alarm as cover, Ava continued her hit-and-run tactics, taking down gangsters one by one. She used her environment to her advantage, swinging from chandeliers, tripping her enemies with loose cords, and disarming them with swift, precise strikes.
Finally, she regrouped with her friends, who were watching her with a mix of awe and disbelief.
“How are you even doing this?” Zia whispered, her voice trembling.
“I’ll explain later,” Ava said quickly. “Right now, we need to get out of here.”
“What about the others?” Mia asked, gesturing to the frightened guests.
“I’ll create a distraction,” Ava said. “You three lead them out through the kitchen. Got it?”
Lyra hesitated, but Mia and Zia nodded firmly. “Be careful,” Mia said.
Ava gave them a reassuring smile. “Always.”
As her friends moved to rally the other guests, Ava turned her attention back to the gangsters. Venatrix and Sable were still standing, their eyes scanning the room for her.
“Alright,” Ava muttered, tightening her fists. “Time to end this.”